What is meant by Rapid Deployment solutions?Rapid Deployment Solutions, or RDS, refers to software solutions focused on solving targeted business challenges through perfectly designed and carefully engineered packages. SAP has refined the RDS package offerings and features over 155 packages to address technology, lines-of-business, and specific industry challenges.

The packages are designed to deliver everything that is needed from a business, and to get the solution up and running quickly. The packages include the software, content, enablement through training and resources, and a scope and time frame to minimize the risk.

Full installation is within a specified timeframe that can be as quickly as days and only as long as about 12 weeks. This is big advantage for businesses, because the quicker the deployment, the less time it takes to see value from the solution.

SAP’s rapid deployment solutions also save money. Forget about the bulky solutions that provide too many robust options and functionalities that are hardly used. Rapid Deployment solutions are built from experience and offer what most companies need. There can provide an element of customization when needed, but regardless, the solution is always deployed within a predetermined scope of work and budget, and eliminates any confusion and “surprise” fees.

SAP’s RDS packages also take the responsibilities beyond defining the scope and deploying quickly to reduce the time to value – they also provide a wealth of intellectual property gathered from extensive knowledge and experience. This includes proven best practices, templates, guides, and educational material that supplement and support the solution and user adoption. These additions make the process and added value helps companies run better and run faster.

This infographic shows how the best of SAP is in one package and can help solve a wealth of business challenges with a speedy implementation, minimized risks, and reduce costs due to the nature of the solution.

Some key facts about Rapid Deployment Solutions from SAP:

Currently, there are over 950 customers in live or go-live implementation

40 percent less

33 percent of customers

There are more than 370 SAP partners supporting SAP Rapid Deployment solutions

Take a look to find out what comes in an SAP RDS package, all the challenges the packages can address, and how to use the solutions (click on image to enlarge):

2 Comments

I totally respect the RDS’s. But I always cringe as a consultant when I hear about them and some of the claims as far as deployment and go-live time.

Even if the client accepts everything in the RDS’s, there is still usually a ton of master data to be addressed. And we all know that garbage in is garbage out. Even on full-scale “custom” solutions, it is still usually the data cleansing that is the main component on the critical path to go-live and not the development or configuration requirements. And clients never seem willing or capable to really assign the number of people required for this.

So I’m a bit of a skeptic when I see “as quickly as days…” to deployment. I’d love to really get hands on experience and see a deployment that came to successful fruition in just days. And exactly what modules or areas are delivered in such a project.

I can’t say I’ve really been on one but I am cleaning up after one now. At least that is what it was claimed as by the consulting partner which was one of the biggest ones out there.

Overall, SAP rapid-deployment solutions are a great starting point for customers. Customers may need additional functionally after the RDS implementation, but they are able to meet most of their core business needs with RDS very quickly.

For your reference, here are some interviews with customers who’ve successfully implemented SAP rapid-deployment solutions – check them out at your leisure (some are pretty cool!):

Also, the Enterprise Mobility is the only one that can be implemented in days (the rest are in weeks) and this is because the deployment options are unique for Afaria (cloud edition or virtual appliance).